


Annox Chronicles: Necromancy

by KiwiMayCry



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 04:50:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13403829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiwiMayCry/pseuds/KiwiMayCry
Summary: This is a story piece I wrote for the DnD campaign I am running that depicts how necromancy made it's way into our playworld. It might vary from what you know from official DnD lore, but we're not using that!





	Annox Chronicles: Necromancy

Raising the dead has never been a feature that mortals were meant to acquire. When magic was put into the world, long before the Last Eclipse and long before countless magicians and wizards started to research the very foundation of the magical world, the gods kept the gift of life and the curse of death out of mortal hands. Today, while there have been tales of some extraordinary individuals, who supposedly possess the power to restore a soul to a dead body, healing any wound and curing every disease, one other way of making a corpse walk again is much more prominent. One that looms darker over the bodies of those once lost.

Necromancy.

But few know the tale of Randal and Surfur. The very two beings responsible for mortals finding a way to get their hands on magic, that even the gods did not freely use.   
Some legends say Randal and Surfur were brothers, others describe them as best friends, others again tell of them being lovers. One trait all of these tales have in common is, that the two elves were close to each other. So close indeed, that their paths in life equaled one another. They were both talented in the mystical arts, both acclaimed warriors, rising through rank after rank in the military, both of them seen as heroes by their respective leaders. As fate wills it, one day Surfur was struck by a poisoned blade during battle. He had taken his last breath, before Randal even noticed the severity of the situation. When he realized what had happened Randal fell into a despair so deep that he forgot all he stood for. All the vigilance and hope he was a symbol for among his people was gone, and so was Surfur. Randal prayed to the gods and when they did not heed his prayer, he turned to demons instead, but they had no interest in bringing back a well know warrior who they had suffered severe losses to.   
The demons even sought to taint Randals heart, hoping the despair he felt would drive him over to their side in this war. They planned to use him, and then dispose of him like he was a worthless bag of sand. But Randal, though desperate and willing to sacrifice much, was still a good man, deep in his heart. He resisted the temptation, and saw the error in his attempt to bargain with the creatures from the underworld. He realized that this was not what Surfur would have wanted, but remembering that made missing his companion so much worse. Randal retreated from society shortly afterwards.  
However, he did not simply disappear to dwell in sadness. During his bargains with the demons he had learned something he never hoped to learn. Since they had not told him they could not help, but rather would not want to, he knew there was a form of magic to bring someone back from the dead. So he started using his talents in magic to research a way to come by this magic by himself. If the gods did not want to help, and the demons were not to trust, it was upon him to right this wrong the universe had done to him and Surfur.   
Due to his naturally long life as an elf, and his dedication for the matter, he achieved what everyone else thought was impossible. He revived the fallen bones of his companion, formed flesh and muscle around them and soon found himself in the presence of the very body that was lost that day on the battlefield. Surfur, his body so young and strong, much younger and stronger than Randals now was, was not entirely there though. In all of his studies Randal was not able to comprehend one detail. He was able to piece the body back together, but it was impossible for him to restore the soul. Surfus soul still rested with the gods, and they had no intention of letting it leave, despite its vessel being restored. Giving the soul back to its body would mean they acknowledged a mortal achieving magic that he was not meant to achieve. Whether it was the gods mercy or the mortals obstinacy is not delivered, but after some time passed and Randal was about to go mad with disappointment one of the gods decided to give this loyal creature a reward for his hardships. 

Surfurs soul was restored to his body. Overjoyed by being reunited the two thanked the goddess and left on journeys together, until both of them found eternal peace together.  
What neither the goddess, nor Randal considerer was that Randal had, during his studies, left very detailed notes of what he was researching. Over time, his notes got into the hands of other magicians, who tried to use Randals magic not for a good and kind cause as he did. They corrupted his initial transcripts, each and every one of them in his or her own perverted way. The manuscripts became known as the fundamental papers on which many Necromancers base their magic – even today. They use it to defile the corpses of fallen soldiers, monsters, even children, to reach the end of their means. Others used the knowledge they gained to conduct experiments with mortal and magical bodies, creating gruesome monsters in the process.  
And over time the tale of Randal and Surfur was lost. And their legacy, which was supposed to show an act of compassion and love, became something that toppled kingdoms, send shivers down even the most of noble knights, and that made everyone afraid that one day their loved ones would come back from their graves as monsters.


End file.
